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Other Proposed Uses

The human body contains only 70 to 80 mg of copper in total, but it's an essential part of many important enzymes. Copper's possible role in treating disease is based on the fact that these enzymes can't do their jobs without it. However, there is little direct evidence that taking extra copper can treat any disease.

Requirements/Sources

The official U.S. recommendations for daily intake of copper are as follows:

High
zinc
intake reduces copper stores in the body;
1,2
for this reason, if you are taking zinc in doses above nutritional levels (as, for example, in the treatment of
macular degeneration
), you will need extra copper.

In addition, if you are taking
iron
or large doses of
vitamin C
, you may need extra copper.
3–7
Ideally, you should take copper at least 2 hours apart from these two nutrients, so that they don't interfere with each other's absorption.

Oysters, nuts, legumes, whole grains, sweet potatoes, and dark greens are good sources of copper. Drinking water that passes through copper plumbing is a good source of this mineral, and sometimes it may even provide too much.

Therapeutic Dosages

For the various therapeutic uses described in the next section, copper is often recommended at a high (but still safe) dose of 1 to 3 mg (1,000 to 3,000 mcg) daily.

Therapeutic Uses

Copper has been proposed as a treatment for
osteoporosis
, based primarily on studies that found benefit using combinations of various trace minerals including copper.
8,9
However, one study found that copper supplements taken alone may not be helpful.
11

One researcher, L. M. Klevay, has claimed in more than a dozen papers that copper deficiencies increase the risk of high
cholesterol
and
heart disease
, but he has failed to supply any real evidence that this idea is true. A small
double-blind, placebo-controlled
study of copper supplements for reducing heart disease risk factors such as cholesterol profile found no benefit.
10

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.